National group to run Pocono Medical Center ER

A new group will take control of Pocono Medical Center's emergency room beginning Aug. 1, part of an effort to lower costs and improve care and compliance with the new Affordable Health Care Act.

HOWARD FRANK

A new group will take control of Pocono Medical Center's emergency room beginning Aug. 1, part of an effort to lower costs and improve care and compliance with the new Affordable Health Care Act.

The hospital chose TeamHealth, one of the nation's largest providers of hospital-based clinical outsourcing across several disciplines, including anesthesia, hospital medicine and emergency care. The company is headquartered in Knoxville, Tenn.

Pocono Emergency Physicians of East Stroudsburg currently operates the hospital's emergency room.

Pocono Health Systems sent out two separate requests for proposals in January for emergency department and hospitalist services.

Hospitalists are doctors who specialize in the care of patients in the hospital, taking over the traditional role served by the primary physician once a patient is admitted.

The requests were sent to the current emergency room group along with local, regional and national organizations. The hospital's intent was to manage its emergency room and hospitalist care in a way that would reduce the cost of health care while maintaining patient safety and care.

"Several of the groups had experience in both services and offered the opportunity to create efficiencies in care through evidence-based protocols that improve the patient transitions from emergency department care to inpatient admissions," according to hospital spokesman Geoffrey Roche.

Pocono Emergency Physicians was one of the groups that submitted a bid.

"As an experienced national provider with a strong regional presence, (TeamHealth) brings with them robust quality and performance improvement programs, physician and leadership development programs, as well as a formalized risk management program to ensure the highest levels of patient safety for our patients and community," Roche said.

Several factors promoted the changes, including a greater ability to respond to the demands of the Affordable Care Act and the health reforms it specifies.

PMC's emergency room treats 85,000 patients annually and the vast majority of patients admitted to the hospitals are initially treated in the emergency room and then cared for by hospitalist physicians.

Given the significant volume of patients that experience both services, the hospital said it looked for ways to better integrate the two services to improve patient care.

Current emergency room and hospitalist physicians and providers will have the opportunity to join TeamHealth and continue to practice at PMC, according to Roche.

However, TeamHealth is also prepared to bring in board certified or board eligible physicians and providers if needed.

The emergency department is currently staffed with 15 physicians, five physician assistants, and two nurse practitioners.

The PMC Physician Associates Hospitalist group has12 physicians, six physician assistants and two nurse practitioners.

Roche said TeamHealth plans to staff the emergency room with more providers than are currently available.